We will strengthen our presence in Israel as time goes by. Eilat is a very unique tourist destination like Morocco and the Canary Islands and we are certain that we will fill the planes.

Negotiations between Israel and Ryanair have been taking place for several years.

The Negev is undergoing a boom with a massive transfer of IDF forces and bases to the southern Israel, the fast-growing change in Be’er Sheva’s becoming a high-tech center, and the extension of the high-speed north-south Kvish 6 (Highway 6) to Be’er Sheva.

Several major corporations, including Boeing, are investing in the new high-tech park next to Ben Gurion University, and Ryanair’s service will be convenient for soldiers and businessmen traveling to Europe.

Horrified, her son’s grandmother from America ordered her to stop immediately. “How could you?” she demanded. “What on earth are you doing?? What kind of song are you teaching him?”

With a smile that did not quite reach her eyes, the young woman explained to her mother, “All the day care centers and kindergartens are teaching this song to the children. Everyone is learning it.

“This is how we make sure the little ones don’t panic when they hear the rocket alert sirens when they start firing the missiles from Gaza,” she added in a matter-of-fact voice. “It reduces their fear. All of the children are memorizing this song and they all learn how to hide under their desks and to march to their bomb shelters along with it.”

“Tzeva Adom, Tzeva Adom (Red Alert, Red Alert) Hurry hurry hurry, to a safe area… Hurry, hurry, ‘cause now it’s a bit dangerous “My heart is beating, Boom boom boom, boom boom “My body is shaking Doom, doom, doom, doom, doom “But I am overcoming ‘Cause I am a little different Falling down – Boom We may now stand up “Our body we Shake Shake Shake Shake Shake Our legs we Loosen Loosen Loosen Loosen Loosen Breathe in deep, Breathe out far Breathe in deep, We can laugh It’s all gone … and I feel good it’s over. YESSSS!” Nearly seven years ago, a kindergarten teacher wanted to do something to help the children in her class deal with the ongoing air raid sirens and rocket attacks against Israel.

More than 145,630 views later, this YouTube video shows a class of small children still singing that song, with English language subtitles for viewers who don’t know Hebrew.

Another generation of Israeli children is being forced to learn how to cope with the trauma of terror attacks from Gaza…

The United Nations equated Israel on Monday with the Iranian-backed Hamas terror organization that rules Gaza.

The UN left both Israel – the sole democracy in the Middle East – and the terrorist group off its blacklist of those who violate children’s rights during conflicts.

UN special envoy for children and armed conflict Leila Zerrougui of Algeria had listed both Hamas and Israel in the report she sent for final approval to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, according to UN sources.

Israel was subjected to sharp criticism by Zerrougui for the impact on children created by its 2014 counter terror war against the terrorists – who for years rained down rocket fire on Israeli children and their families.

On Monday, UN Security Council members received the draft as well. But it was Ban with whom the final decision rested. Sources told journalists the secretary-general elected to strike both Israel and Hamas from the list.

The decision, said the sources, was highly unusual.

Meanwhile, Gaza terrorists are again testing Israel’s resolve. On Saturday night, civilians were sent racing to their bomb shelters once again when a Grad Katyusha rocket was fired at southern Israel from northern Gaza.

The rocket was intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system, indicating that it had been heading directly for a major population center. Shrapnel from the destroyed rocket was later identified on the outskirts of the coastal city of Ashkelon.

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon warned Monday that Israel will not “allow anyone to disrupt the lives” of her citizens.

Speaking at an awards ceremony attended by IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot that was held at the home of President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem to honor IDF reservists, Ya’alon said, “In recent days we received another reminder about the complexity of the situation in Gaza.”

Ya’alon spoke of “a hostile entity controlled by a murderous terrorist organization, Hamas, which is also challenged by terror gangs affiliated with global jihad.”

Israel, he said, is maintaining a “determined and decisive policy, one that is measured and responsible… If we are required to, and we continue to be challenged, we will not hesitate to act,” he warned.

President Reuven Rivlin, known for his warm, open manner and willingness to see both sides of a story, this time is not moving a muscle.

Rivlin told United Nations envoy to the Middle East Nicolai Mladenov in their meeting on Wednesday that Israel won’t help rebuild Gaza until Hamas returns the remains of two fallen IDF soldiers whose bodies are still being held hostage.

“Hamas is ready for the time being not to kill Israelis; they are willing to wait,” he acknowledged. “But before there is rebuilding, they have to give us back our sons. We know that their task to get rid of us is still on their agenda. Each side has to build confidence in the other.”

Lt. Hadar Goldin and St. Sgt. Oren Shaul both lost their lives last summer in Gaza while fighting in Operation Protective Edge, the counter terror war launched to silence the rocket fire and destroy the smuggler tunnels aimed at southern Israel.

Both of their bodies were stolen by Gaza terrorists during the heat of battle, and the terror group has refused to return them, thus preventing their grieving families from burying their dead loved ones. It is an especially cruel way to torture a parent, a method used as often as possible by Iranian-sponsored terror groups such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah.

The Goldin family, who met two days ago with the president, requested that Rivlin raise the issue every time he meets with any foreign dignitary and any time the issue of helping Gaza is suggested.

Rivlin also told Mladenov during their meeting that ultimately, Israel would be willing to cooperate with the UN in rebuilding Gaza but noted that few others have kept their promise to do the same. “Everyone is willing to help, but no one is helping,” he observed.

The president also reminded that previous deliveries of concrete and iron intended for construction went badly astray. Literally millions of dollars’ worth of construction supplies intended to rebuild homes and infrastructure for the people of Gaza following previous wars ignited by their terrorist rulers were confiscated and used to build underground bunkers for terror leaders, rockets, mortars and terrorist tunnels.

Part of that network, which Hamas and its allies used to great advantage during last summer’s war, was dismantled by the IDF. But much of it still remains within the enclave and Hamas is intent on rebuilding the rest.

Mladenov responded that it is important to rebuild Gaza as quickly as possible, not only to address the lack of housing, but also to create jobs and opportunities so that Gazans “will be drawn away from radicalism.”

Residents of southern Israel were wondering Tuesday night whether they would be sleeping in their beds or their bomb shelters again by morning. In Gaza, Hamas leaders were wondering the same thing.

A Grad Katyusha rocket attack was launched by Gaza terrorists Tuesday night on southern Israel. One rocket exploded in the community of Gan Yavne, near the port city of Ashdod. At least one teenage girl was taken to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon due to trauma from the attack.

Before midnight, Likud minister Miri Regev was already calling for a government response to the rocket fire aimed just a few hours earlier at civilians in the region. “It’s unfortunate that Hamas is trying to escalate the security situation in the south,” said Regev, a former IDF brigadier-general and spokesperson, currently serving as the government’s Minister of Culture and Sports.

The Hamas leadership began evacuating from their general security quarters after the attack. Gaza media outlets continued to broadcast the news that Hamas terrorist leaders are fleeing their headquarters, as they have in the past under such circumstances. The evacuation is expected to continue into the morning hours – or until all of the leadership is safely tucked away.

There was no immediately information about property damage resulting from the rocket fire. Five Code Red incoming rocket alert air raid sirens activated due to the launch — or launches — in communities that included Bnei Darom, Ashkelon, Ashdod and Lachish, in addition to Gan Yavne.

Things have been quiet for at least a month. Almost four weeks ago to the day, Gaza terrorists fired a Qassam rocket at the Gaza Belt city of Sderot. The rocket exploded on the outskirts of the city and did no damage but triggered air raid sirens in communities throughout the area and sent dozens of families scurrying for cover.

Tuesday’s attack was more serious, involving a more highly-powered rocket that went further north and was capable of far more damage. However, Israelis are for the most part well protected from such attacks due to frequent preparation drills by Home Front Command (two such drills are planned for the country in the coming days, as a matter of fact) and updated building codes that mandate built-in bomb shelters in each new housing unit.

Hamas has done nothing of the sort for its own people, however. As has been the standard in the past, there is nowhere for Gaza civilians to shelter or hide from any Israeli reprisal — in fact, the terrorist organization routinely urges civilians to stand on the roof of buildings in which rocket launchers are housed, and which are targeted for destruction by the Israeli Air Force.

The enclave’s Hamas terrorist rulers never built bomb shelters to protect their people from the reprisals they trigger after launching unprovoked attacks on southern Israeli civilians, assuming that gory photos of civilians deaths will evoke the endless sympathies of an international readership.

9:04pm As of this time, there are no reports of rocket landings in Southern Israel…or damage.. or Iron Dome…still waiting for confirmation.
Some unconfirmed reports of a muffled explosion. IDf is checking.

9:02 PM Not clear yet if the rockets are real, false alarms, or Hamas test rockets that came too close to Israel.

8:58pm Rocket alerts just went off along the Gaza border and central Negev.
A lot of alerts.

Israeli archaeologists proved Wednesday there was a good reason for God sending the Jews on that 40-year stroll around the desert after all.

Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist Amir Ganor told journalists at a briefing in Jerusalem Wednesday, “The Israelites left Egypt; however, it seems that even years after their return, Egypt did not leave the Israelites and their descendants.”

A collection of artifacts with characteristics of the Egyptian culture which were discovered in the southern Israel excavation.

The briefing was held just two days before the start of the week-long holiday of Passover that commemorates the Exodus. Ganor used the opportunity to reveal unique archaeological finds attesting to the existence of an Egyptian administrative center in the region 3,400 years ago.

The archaeologist has spent the past year directing an excavation in a cave near Kibbutz Lahav in southern Israel, in the Tel Halif region.

While in the area, the Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery identified an underground cave in which there were signs of plundering. Inspectors discovered that antiquities thieves had broken into the cave and stolen 3,000-year-old pottery vessels, disturbing ancient archaeological strata in the process.

The IAA officials thwarted further damage to the cave and carried out a salvage operation to save the remaining artifacts and other extremely valuable archaeological information.

The excavation revealed evidence dating back to the late Bronze Age (1500 BCE) and the Iron Age (1000 BCE), including more than 300 pottery vessels of different types – some of which were still intact.

An oil lamp and a ceramic jar that date to the Iron Age, which were discovered in the cave.

Also found were dozens of pieces of jewelry made of bronze, shells and faience, unique vessels fashioned from yellowish alabaster, seals, seal impressions and cosmetic vessels – all of which had been placed in the cave and accumulated there for decades.

A ring that was discovered in the excavation which is inlaid with a seal depicting an Egyptianwarrior holding a shield and sword.

“Among the many artifacts that were discovered, most of which are characteristic of the Judahite culture in the south of the country, we found dozens of stone seals, some of which are shaped in the form of a winged beetle (scarabs) and bear carved symbols and images typical of the Egyptian culture which prevailed in the country in the Late Bronze Age. Some of the seals were fashioned on semi-precious stones that come from Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula,” said Ganor, who heads the IAA’s unit for the prevention of antiquities robbery.

“It is true the Israelites left Egypt, but the evidence from the excavation in the cave shows the Egyptians did not leave the Israelites and their descendants. This has been attested to in archaeological excavations where we uncovered evidence from many years after the “Exodus” which reflects the influence of Egyptian culture on the Judahite residents of the country,” Ganor said.

Some of the objects were produced in Egypt itself, and were brought to Canaan by the Israelites or merchants. Others were made in the country using methods imitating Egyptian production techniques and copying Egyptian cultural motifs, while using indigenous raw materials, according to the IAA.